


The Lost Boy of Sherwood Forest

by justanoutlaw



Series: OQ Prompt Party 2020 [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Past Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25513318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Regina goes to visit Robin’s other memorial and runs into someone she hasn’t seen since his death.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Roland
Series: OQ Prompt Party 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848304
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	The Lost Boy of Sherwood Forest

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 6 of OQ prompt party: #95. Regina meeting adult Roland in the new enchanted forest. + #217 Roland comes back to Regina after years + #68 Regina visiting Robin’s grave + #253 “I didn’t know it would hurt this much”

Regina hasn't been to Sherwood in years. The camp hasn't changed much. Same tents, a campfire ready to be lit in the center. Trees tower around her with the scent of pine drifting into her nose.

The Merry Men are gone, probably out hunting. She's not here to see them anyway. Ever since she heard about the grave from her niece, she knew she had to visit it.

She takes a left at the particularly mossy tree and two rights at a rock shaped like an owl before she's there. It's nothing like his grave in Storybrooke. This is simple, a rock messily hand carved with his name.

_Robin Hood._

_Father, leader, adventurer_

"I didn't think this would hurt so much," she mutters to herself, her heart hurting at the reminder of a life cut too short.

Regina drops in front of the grave, tracing her fingers over the lopsided carvings. She knows his body doesn't lay here, that's in Storybrooke. If Hades was right, his soul is gone too. Still, she knows if it's anywhere, it came back here to his home. The woods was one of the things he loved the most.

She drops a bouquet of feathers in front of the grave. There's no other flowers, but there's a set of arrows, much like the ones that sit atop his casket in Storybrooke.

"Raise your arms."

A gruff voice interrupts her mourning. She sighs, slowly extending her glove covered hands to the sky. She won't blame the men for not wanting her around. They barely spoke after Robin's death and once they took Roland, that was it. Their relationship only existed because of Robin and now he was gone.

She raises to her feet and turns, tilting her head. The Merry Men is a large group but she doesn't recognize this one. He's got dark curls, brown eyes and…those dimples.

"Roland," she whispers.

He's so grown up, wearing a green shirt much like his father would. He's got a bow and arrow in his grasp, aimed straight for her. He regards her closely for a moment, before slowly lowering the bow.

"Regina?"

She walks closer to him, tentatively touching his face. His chin is covered with scruff, proving he's not the little boy that asked for ice cream. He's a man now. She's missed so much.

"I can't believe it's you," she whispers.

He slowly pulls away and she bites her lip. "What are you doing here?"

"Robin-your sister," she clarifies. "told me about the memorial."

"I remember Peanut. She's seen me a few times," he says. "Started when she was 11, she found a bean and started running away here."

Regina frowns. "Really?"

"Zelena never noticed."

Clearly Regina hadn't either.

"Roland, I…it's so good to see you."

He tucks his bow away. "Took you awhile."

Regina looks away. "I know," she whispers.

"I had lost my father," Roland tells her. "And then I just get taken from everything I know and love."

"That wasn't my choice."

"I didn't see you trying to stop it."

"They left when I was trying to get Henry back," Regina argues. "I didn't know you were leaving!"

"But when you found out, you didn't exactly come running."

Regina sighs, running her fingers through her hair. She can see the anger in Roland's eyes and she doesn't blame him. She's tried to justify it for so long but she knows she can't. Not anymore. The product of her failures stands before her.

"After you left, I split myself. I don't know if you know Roland, but I was once a very evil person. I… hurt a lot of people." She flinches at the memories. "I was worried that I'd turn into her again. So, I tried to kill her. Except it didn't work. She came back and caused chaos, I couldn't bring you into that."

Roland nods. "I've met the Queen, Locksley as well."

Regina is glad to here that her twin has checked on Roland over the years. "Well then you know she's changed, she's better. But by the time I fixed us and the mess in Storybrooke, I thought too much time had passed. I thought you were better off with your father's friends."

Roland is quiet for a moment. He looks around the woods, his eyes landing on the grave.

"John and the guys are great," he says, his voice soft. "They taught me how to wield a bow. They took me hunting when I was young. But…they were never my parents."

Another pang of hurt hits Regina's heart. "Roland…"

"I know you were never my my mom but you were all I had. You were connected to my sister, you were in her life. And I always wondered why I was never good enough to stick around for."

Tears prick her eyes. She wants to say a lot of things, but she knows what this is like. She felt worthless her whole life. And now she's done it to someone she never wanted to hurt.

"I never wanted to do that," she whispers. "You were enough, Roland. You _are_. I was in just too much pain after your dad died. I should've fought to raise you and your sister. Instead, I did the last thing he would want."

Robin died protecting not just her but his daughter. He wouldn't have wanted her raised by Zelena. But Regina didn't know how to fight that. So, she just let it go and tried to be the best aunt to little Robin that she could.

She hadn't been able to be anything to Roland.

Losing Robin weakened something in her and she hated that.

"I'm sorry," she says. "It was nothing you did and everything on me."

Roland refuses to meet her eye. She understands. She doesn't know how she can look at herself after what she did.

"I know it's been years," she says. "But we could try again."

"I think it's too late for that."

"Your sister and I, just your sister and I, have joined Henry and his wife to fight a rebellion in this other realm. Robin's even got a little girlfriend. We're…we're almost the family we could've been."

"Almost?"

"Well, you're not there."

Roland looks at her, his eyes looking so young and defeated. She reaches into her pocket and retrieves one of the two beans she has left.

"Think about it? The realm is the New Enchanted Forest."

Roland doesn't accept it, but he does open his palm. She places the blue bean into it.

"John will wonder where I went," he says. "You should get out of the woods before he sees you."

Regina nods. "I love you, Roland."

She throws her remaining bean into the dirt, bringing her back to her son and niece. She spends the next few weeks fighting for the kingdom, learning of Ella's pregnancy and thinking so much of the now man she let down. She doesn't tell Robin or Henry about her trip, not wanting to get their hopes up.

A month later, she's climbing out of her tent when she hears squealing. Walking past the crinkling campfire, she sees her niece hugging someone tight. She looks past her and gets a closer look.

Roland.

When her niece pulls away, Regina takes a step forward. He gives her a small nod.

"I'm here for Henry and Peanut," he says.

She'll take it.


End file.
